Pavlidis v Samu: stats don’t lie, Benfica star comes out on top | OneFootball

When it comes to a classic match between Porto and Benfica, the spotlight often falls on the teams’ top scorers: Samu and Pavlidis. Both have been key players for their teams and are expected to take center stage again at the Dragão, in the Portuguese Cup quarter-final match.

The Greek striker has the edge in head-to-head encounters: in his last visit to the Dragão, Pavlidis scored a hat-trick, helping Benfica to a 4-1 victory, securing a historic win. Samu, on the other hand, has scored twice against the rival, but has yet to win a match against Benfica.

Throughout this past season, Pavlidis has shown greater consistency overall, with 24 goals in 32 games this season, compared to Samu’s 19 goals in 25 matches. This difference is also reflected in penalty kicks: Pavlidis has converted 10 this season, while Samu only 5. In terms of open play goals, both have 14 each.

In the assists department, Pavlidis – valued at 35 million euros – has the advantage with three decisive passes, compared to just one from the Porto striker, reinforcing the Greek’s impact not only in finishing but also in playmaking. The Spaniard, more of a penalty box player, presents himself as a more direct finisher.

The international Greek forward wants to leave his mark on the classic scheduled for today. The match will kick off at 8:45 PM at Estádio do Dragão. This decisive match is valid for the quarter-finals of the Taça de Portugal Generali Tranquilidade, promising plenty of excitement, and will be broadcast on RTP 1.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.